Killing Machine
by ChiefD3m0n1c
Summary: EXOs, mysterious machines built to combat the Darkness as Guardians. Unit 7907636, or Number as he's called, is a Titan Guardian with one purpose; kill. When he crash lands on a strange planet, it is up to him, his Ghost named Shade, and a team of kids to find him a way home.
1. Chapter 1: Not in Kansas

So, all of you voted and you've got your answer. Follow Unit 7906737 as he lands on the planet of Remnant. I present… chapter 1 of KILLING MACHINE!

Chapter 1: Not in Kansas

Black. That was all he could see. His vision became fuzzy, but his computing system finally cleared his vision to see he was at least in his ship. He forced himself up and groaned in his synthetic voice "Shade, run a systems check." A small light flew in front on him and materialized into a floating cube of grey one half and block the other. A small ball at the center with a blue light appeared and questioned "On the ship? Or you, Guardian?" The Guardian groaned as he stood up "The ship. I can run my own systems check."

The lights in the ship started to flicker as Shade flew to a computer and started checking the system. The Guardian went over to a computer and hit a few keys, causing the monitor to turn on with the words "EXO SYSTEM CHECK". It was good that he had the EXO system check installed on the ship since that's what he was, an EXO. He hit a few keys and sat in the scanner chair, allowing the ship to scan his body's integrity. The scan was quick, only a minute, and he had a full diagnostic on his body.

He checked the screen to see that there was very minimal damage to his body from the crash. Guardian reached up and scratched at his head plate, trying to remember what happened to him and why he crashed his ship. There were flashes, quick and unclear, but they were something. He could remember a few things, his unit designation was 7906737 and he was a Titan to the Vanguard designed to fight the ancient enemy of the Traveler, the Darkness. The face he was given looked as close to human as an EXO could get and he liked his Knight Titan armor.

"Number." The Guardian chuckled. "My nickname is Number. Idiots that gave me that name." Number checked the screen to see that it had gone to sleep and he stared at the red lights of his eyes and the large forehead plate he was given when he was built. Number looked around to see his helmet laying on the floor near the computer that his Ghost, Shade was scanning. "How's the ship looking?" Number questioned as he grabbed his helmet and walked over to Shade. "Not good Guardian." Shade responded as he stopped scanning. "The engines are blown, the warp drive is scrap, and the galactic positioning system is shot. We're stuck here unless another Guardian is able to track where he flew."

"So… where are we? I remember… I remember running."

"It was the Fallen. We were on Venus instigating a distress signal. It was a Fallen ambush and we bolted. Do you really not remember?"

"No, I really don't. The scanner didn't pick up anything that suggested processor trauma, but maybe the scanner is busted."

Shade floated and twitched a bit in silence and then proclaimed "I'll look into it, but right now we have a bigger problem. When we were fleeing from the Fallen ambush, one got lucky and hit the guidance system, frying it." Number looked at him and questioned "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we made a jump without targeting, so we simply… jumped. In basics, I have no idea where we jumped."

"So we might be in a hostile zone?"

"I prefer the term unknown. Not everyone believes the unknown is hostile."

Number went to a large locker and opened it up to reveal guns. "You know what I say." Number proclaimed as he grabbed a Pulse Rifle. "If you don't know, assume the worst." Shade shook side to side and sighed "That thinking has gotten us into a large amount of trouble." Number also grabbed a Void Fusion Rifle and Incendiary Machine Gun, but there was no ammo for either of them. "Looks like I've just got the primary." Number grumbled as he slid his helmet onto his head.

He went to the emergency escape door since he couldn't warp out of the ship and kicked it open. There was light, so it was either day, or the area he was in was on fire. Assume the worst and you'll never be surprised by the worst. Number moved out the door slowly to see that he was in a forest full of green trees. _"Okay, forest… probably not Venus." _ Number thought as he scanned the trees. _"Maybe I did make it to Earth?"_ Number lowered his rifle and started to walk around the ship, which confirmed that he definitely was _not_ on Earth.

Shade floated over his shoulder and proclaimed "I'm pretty sure that Earth doesn't have castles." What the two could easily see over the tops of the trees was a massive… castle. "Where the hell are we Shade?" Number questioned as he looked around. There was a massive break in the trees from where his ship crashed, giving them more view of the castle. "I have no idea Guardian, but I know we are not alone." Shade pointed out.

Number looked in the direction Shade was looking to see four figures coming towards them, and they were armed. Number approached cautiously, finger almost in the trigger guard as the shapes revealed themselves to be humanoid. Once he could make out details, he raised his rifle and ordered "Freeze! Keep your hands where I can see them!" The four stopped as Number cautiously approached to see that they were just kids… by human years at least. They were wearing the same clothes, a jacket with some emblem on it, like a school uniform.

Shade had joined Number to remain from sight and proclaimed "They look like students at some school, but why would students have weapons?" The weapons they had were a mace, dual daggers, a sword and a battle axe. "Did you crash in that ship?" The one with the mace questioned. Number pointed the weapon at the mace wielder and ordered "No talking unless I'm asking questions. Understand?"

"Who do…"

Number fired a burst right over the mace wielder's head and repeated "Understand?" The mace wielder kept his mouth shut and Number ordered "I want none of you to move under any circumstance. If you do, I will shoot you. Understand?" The mace wielder barked "Go with what he says guys. He's got the gun right on us." The others nodded and the mace wielder proclaimed "Alright, we aren't going to move." Number kept his gun trained on them and proclaimed "Shade, I need you to scan them. See what they are."

Shade materialized and responded "I'll probably tell you what I already suspect." Shade floated over to the mace wielder and started to scan him. The mace wielder moved and swung his mace, sending Shade into the forest as Number pulled the trigger. The kids were faster than he expected and jumped out of the way of his burst, then charged him. He fired again, nailing the kid with the dual daggers in the chest, but it didn't drop him.

The kid faltered a bit, but he didn't stop and continued his charge. Number blocked the attacks of the dual wielder with his rifle and cursed in his head _"What the hell!? I didn't pick up any shield on him."_ Number continued to block the swings of the dual wielder and noticed that the axe swinger was coming at him from the side. Number was able to catch the axe swinger's weapon before it connected with his side and one handed his rifle to block the daggers from cutting into his circuitry. Number pulled the weapon quickly and slammed the two together, hoping that they were taken out of the fight.

Number quickly put his rifle on his back and switched to his hunting knife since the rifle was ineffective. The swordsman swung his blade at him, but Number blocked the swing and delivered a quick blow to the swordsman gut. The swordsman doubled over from the punch, which caused Number to think _"Bullets don't work on them, but melee attacks do? Where am I?"_ Number threw the swordsman and jumped to the side to avoid the mace wielder's attack, the weapon slamming into the ground. Number and the mace wielder squared off, Number flipping the knife in his hand so the blade was on his pinky side.

The mace wielder charged him with a loud war cry, but Number stood his ground as the mace was raised. The mace came down and Number blocked it with his forearm, feeling his feet dig into the dirt a bit as he swung his knife. The knife should have sliced the kid's stomach open, but the blade bounced like it hit armor. Number ignored his confusion and kneed the kid in the stomach, this hit actually landing. The kid buckled and Number dropped an elbow in the kid's back, sending him into the ground.

The dual wielder and the axe swinger both must have gotten up and charged him while he was fighting the mace wielder because Number was thrown to the ground and immediately felt something start hitting his back. Number rolled and caught the axe before it came down again and delivered a kick that sent the axe swinger into the air as the dual wielder repeatedly stabbed at him. Number jumped up and started parrying the blows from the twin daggers as he evaluated the situation.

"_Clearly a hostile planet where kids can get their hands on some pretty well maintained weapons." _Number thought as he blocked swings. _"With no way of getting out of here my best bet is either find a way to contact someone on Earth, or get my ship back up and running."_ His thought process was cut off as rounds started to bounce off his armor, like someone was shooting at him. He looked over to see that the swordsman was shooting him… with his sword! "Now that is cool!" Number laughed as he caught on of the dual wielder's arms. "I want one!" Number delivered a punch straight to the dual wielder's face, probably knocking him out since he went limp… or killing him.

Number dropped the dual wielder, pointed as the swordsman and ordered "Give me that sword." The swordsman took a fighting stance and replied "You can come and get it."

"I intend to."

Number charged and swung his knife, the swordsman blocking it with ease. The two dueled with each other until Number got bored and decided to fight dirty. He parried a swing and then delivered a rather strong kick… straight to the swordsman's nuts. The swordsman dropped to his knees and Number delivered a punch to the swordsman's face and took him down. Number looked at all of the kids he took down and sighed "What kind of planet is this? Giving kids weapons?"

Number reached down and picked up the gun sword, inspecting it and liking what he was seeing. "The weapons are good though," Number sighed as he sheathed the sword, "I wonder what kind of upgrades I can get for this." He turned and was going back to his ship when he was shot in the back, the bullet taking him to his stomach. He got up to see that a new opponent had entered the battle, a little girl wearing the same kind of uniform the others were wearing but she had a skirt. She also had a large red scythe that was plunged into the ground with a barrel pointed right at him.

Number reached back and pulled the bullet out of his armor to see it was a sniper bullet. He looked at the bullet and then to the girl, proclaiming "Little girls shouldn't play with big guns." He dropped the bullet and drew his new gun sword as the little girl ripped the scythe from the ground. "Nor should they play with sharp blades." Number added as he readied the sword. The girl was short with dark red hair and silver eyes.

The two squared off and Number prepared for another one sided fight like he did with the four guys. He was getting ready to charge when the girl disappeared in a shower of rose petals. Number looked around but couldn't find her, until he was hit in the back and sent flying. He crashed down and got up to see it was the little girl scythe to her side suggesting that she was the one who hit him. _"She's either fast… or she can teleport."_ Number thought as he readied his sword.

He looked to her feet to see skid marks in the dirt, affirming that she was fast. "Why did you attack Team CRDL?" The girl questioned with aggression in her voice. "Self- defense. Crashing on an alien planet and four guys come at you with weapons drawn? Not a great way to say hi."

"Look, I'm willing to talk to you if you put your weapon down."

"Not happening."

The girl's expression remained intense as she readied her scythe rifle and took a fighting stance, provoking Number into taking his own. He charged her this time, but the girl disappeared again in a rose petal storm, but he knew better. He spun around and swung his sword, hoping that he could predict her movements, but he was wrong again. His sword hit air and the girl appeared in the similar petal shower, bringing her scythe down into his left shoulder. Unfortunately, the scythe found the chink in his armor and cut between his shoulder plate and his main body armor.

He felt the sensors in his arm flare, signaling pain since the scythe tore through his circuitry and motors. His arm fell to the ground and he barked "What the hell?! Do you know what it's going to take to put that back?!" The girl looked horrified as she looked at Number's severed arm and then back at him, his stump sparking from the severed wires. "You're… not… human." The girl gasped as she started to back away. "What's your first name Sherlock? Is it No Shit?" Number barked as he readied a fighting stance.

The girl shook off the shock and readied her own stance, but Number was already in a charge. He launched forward with the war cry "STORM FIST!" His super charged fist was coming right for the girl and he was about to connect with her, but everything started to slow down. Correction, _he_ was slowing down as a voice in his head proclaimed "Power core low. Shutting down to conserve energy." His fist stopped merely an inch from the confused girl's face and his vision shut off, basically putting him to sleep.

O00000O00000O

Ruby was frozen as the machine's fist stopped an inch from her face, fist sparking with some kind of energy. She took a step back to see that the red eyes were black and that the circuitry stopped sparking, the machine unmoving. Ruby poked the machine's chest with Crescent rose, but it remained immobile. She poked again, still no reaction. "I am already not liking this planet." A voice groaned behind her. She jumped and swung Crescent Rose, nearly hitting the floating cube that was coming towards her. "Why does every life form on this planet feel the need to swing at me?" The cube grumbled as it floated over to the machine and started, what appeared to be, scanning it.

"Um, what are you?" Ruby questioned. "Me? My Guardian here calls me Shade. I'm a Ghost of the Traveler. This here is Unit 7907636, or Number, as his fellow Guardians call him. It appears that he forgot to charge his power core, again. Those scanners can barely understand EXOs, let alone figure out any problems with them." Shade replied. "I'll need to get him to a charging facility or somewhere he can get some power." Shade floated over to Ruby and questioned "Do you know where we might be able to find a suitable charging station… (looks at fallen arm)… and a mechanic."

"I'm not so sure that bringing… Number… back on line is such a good idea. He seems very…"

"Aggressive? Hostile? Yes, he is but he means well. When you fight things like the Hive and the Fallen, it turns a little… aggressive. Once he gets to know you, he won't be such a dick."

Ruby sighed "I guess if I can get my team to come help, and with proper restraints, we can get him to a power source and charge him up. We also will have a bunch of questions as well." Shade nodded and Ruby got on her scroll, contacting her team and Professor Ozpin about their extraterrestrial visitor.

KABOOOM! So there is your reader voted chapter, sorry it took so long. I've been working a lot and haven't found the time to write. PM or Review any thoughts, comments, or questions. Until next time.

-Chief


	2. Chapter 2: Guardian

Heyo! Glad to see all of you are enjoying this story so much. With a mess of follows and favorites for the first chapter, I think you guys like it! Any way… NEW CHAPTER!

Chapter 2: Guardian

Professor Ozpin sat with Team RWBY in the weapons maintenance room where the large machine known as Number was being repaired. His strange floating device known as a Ghost named Shade hovered over the robot's head and directed Ruby on how to reattach his arm. The rest of Team RWBY was there for security since the machine was prone to hostile behavior. All of Team CRDL was in the infirmary for wounds caused by this machine, so along with several straps and bindings on the table, there was a team there too. "Just connect those two wires and that will give the arm its motor functions." Shade directed and Ruby followed.

She connected the wires and the arm tightened and then relaxed. "Good. His arm is completely repaired and by my calculations, he should be fully charged in a few minutes." Shade updated. "Great. Let's just wake up the psycho killer robot. No way that could go wrong." Yang exclaimed with a massive amount of sarcasm. Shade floated over to Yang and exclaimed "I'm sorry that my Guardian took the measures he did. Why, he should have simply let those four with the large weapons beat him to death because we are alien to you."

"Wow. A floating asshole accompanying a giant asshole. What a surprise."

"Ms. Xiao Long, I would ask you to refrain from causing a… galactic incident by causing any further harm to our visitors."

Yang crossed her arms as Shade replied "Thank you Professor Ozpin. Number should be waking in just a moment." He floated over to Number, everyone preparing for the worst as the machine's eyes started to glow red. The piece that looked like it would be a jaw slowly started to open, putting everyone on edge… and then the machine screamed. Hands flew to ears as the machine cried "SON OF A BITCH! OH MAN DID THAT HURT!" The machine continued to scream in pain for a few minutes until he started to make panting sounds like he was out of breath.

"Are you finished Guardian?" Shade questioned as he floated over the machine's head. "Yeah. I'm good… did you reattach my arm? I can feel my fingers moving."

"I merely directed the reattachment. You have Ms. Rose to thank for the actual reattachment."

The machine lifted his head and looked at Ruby, who nervously waved. "I remember you." The machine proclaimed. "You're the little bitch who cut my arm off!" The machine started to struggle against the restraints, prompting Team RWBY to take fighting stances as Professor Ozpin approached the struggling machine. "Guardian! You need to calm down!" Shade urged as he shot around the machine's head. "Hell no! I am getting the hell off this planet and these people are not going to take me apart!"

"We have no interest in taking you apart, Guardian." Professor Ozpin stated as he calmly drank from his mug. The machine started to calm down and glared at Professor Ozpin like he was planning on shooting lasers out of his eyes. "Then why am I tied up?" The machine questioned.

"A precautionary. You did put four of my students in the hospital. I am going to ask you a few questions, and once we are done… I will let you go."

"Just like that? A few answers and I'm gone?"

"Yes."

The machine looked to Shade and questioned "You think I should take the deal?" Shade floated for a bit and responded "I think you should." The machine turned back to Ozpin and proclaimed "Shoot." Ozpin questioned "What is your name?"

"My unit designation is 7907636, or Number as my friends call me."

Yang snorted "Yeah, you have friends." She looked back to see Number staring right at her, the red lights making the stare a little creepier than it needed to be. "Yang, I suggest that you don't instigate the killer robot any more than he already is." Blake exclaimed, hand on Gambol Shroud. Yang shrugged again as Ozpin asked "So what are you, exactly?" Number took a deep breath and sighed "I'll start from the very beginning. I'm an EXO, a mechanical being that was built for… some reason. I don't know why… no one knows why. Hell, few of us know how we even work. The only ones who know we work are the Ghosts."

"What's the next part?"

"I'm a Guardian. A warrior chosen by my Ghost to combat the ancient enemy of the Traveler called the Darkness. I fight the minions of the Darkness like the Fallen, the Hive, and the Vex, but we also have to deal with the Cabal."

Ozpin nodded and sipped his drink while Yang paced around the room, trying to get Number's eyes off of her. For some reason, Number's eyes followed her around the room no matter where she went and it was starting to creep her out. "Do you think any of these enemies could have followed you from your planet?" Ozpin questioned.

"Doubtful. I don't think they would pursue me this far from the system. I'm actually amazed that the Darkness hasn't reached this planet yet."

"You will have to explain this Darkness to me some more in the future. For now, you have fulfilled your end and now I shall fulfill mine."

Ozpin started to undo the bindings as Weiss questioned "Are you sure that is a wise idea? He's a danger to anyone who crosses him." Ozpin continued to pull the straps off Number and replied "I made a deal with him and I shall remain true to it." Once all the straps were undone, Number got off the table and started rolling his shoulders. "May I have my weapons back? No offense, but I've been attacked too many times for me to walk around unarmed." Number questioned. "I've already put your weapons into your inventory." Shade updated. "I didn't let them take away your weapons."

"Thanks Shade."

Number grabbed his helmet and Professor Ozpin offered "How would you like to stay here until your ship is repaired?" Number slid his helmet over his head and questioned "Now why would I want to do that?" Shade muttered "Because we're stuck here and have no form of shelter or way of gathering information." Number dropped his head and sighed "Fine Shade, you win again." Number turned to Ozpin and replied "Sure, what would I have to do to stay here?" Ozpin sipped from his mug and replied "Simply tell us about your universe and you may use our facilities to gather the information and parts that you require for your ship to be repaired."

"So you want to trade intel for what I require? I think it's a good idea… Shade?"

Shade rotated a bit and exclaimed "I thinks so. We'll take the deal." Ozpin replied "Excellent. I will require you to be escorted at all times though, to prevent any more… misunderstandings from occurring." Number sighed "Fine, I guess that's okay. You, red headed bitch." Ruby looked around and then pointed to herself as Number proclaimed "Yeah you, take me to the library or whatever your planet calls a place with a bunch of books." Ruby replied "A library?"

"Good, same page."

Number didn't wait for anyone to stop him as he grabbed Ruby's hood and proceeded to drag her out of the room. Number put Ruby in front of him and exclaimed "Take me to the library. The less time I spend on this planet the better." Ruby grumbled "You don't have to be so rude about it."

"Give me a reason NOT to be rude. Since I landed on this planet, just about everyone I meet is trying to kill me. If I wanted to be hunted on a different planet I would have just stayed on Venus."

Shade floated next to Number and added "I have to agree with Ruby. You could be a little nicer." Number questioned "Who's side are you on?"

"I'm on your side Guardian, and so is Ruby. It was all a case of mistaken intentions that got us into this situation."

"Fine, I'll _try_ and be nice to everyone. Ruby, I'm sorry about calling you a bitch."

Ruby looked back at him with a raised eyebrow and questioned "Why do I feel like that wasn't sincere?" Number replied "Because it wasn't, I still think you're a bitch." Ruby turned her back to Number and finally brought him to the library. "Here's the library. Have fun with your research." Ruby proclaimed with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice. Number ignored her and went to one of the terminals, powering it up for his research. "Shade, can you give me a list of all the materials we're going to need to repair the ship?"

Shade materialized into Number's helmet and pulled up a LONG list of materials needed for the repairs. "Damn. I really hope this planet has what we need." Number grumbled as he started his search. He sat at the computer for a little while, maybe an hour or two, and compiled a list of materials he could obtain. Sadly, a few components require actual building since this planet didn't really have them, so he has to invent them himself. Number ran his palms over his helmet visor and sighed "It's going to take forever to get off this planet."

Then a familiar voice proclaimed "Hey! Metal jackass!" Number looked over to see the blonde girl with golden gauntlets, Yang if memory served. She walked over to him and tossed him something small, like a Pulse Rifle clip. "That's your scroll." Yang updated with a look that read pissed. "Use it to find your ass around Beacon so you can leave us alone as much as possible. Sadly, you have to room with us since you really can't be trusted alone."

"Whatever. Thanks for bringing it."

"One more thing asshole."

That basically forced Number to stand up and face the blonde brawler, neither of them appeared happy. "Either lay off the insults on my sister or…" Yang started. "Or what?" Number exclaimed as he held his arms out to his side. "You'll punch me? I don't give two shits if you and your team are the hotshots here. I will punch you and disintegrate your body. So if you back off, I'll back off. The less we see of each other, the better."

"I can agree to that. Later asshole."

Yang turned and walked out, Number swearing that her hair looked like there were flames coming off it. "You know, she kinda looks like…" Shade started. "Shut up." Number growled.

"But…"

Number snatched Shade out of the air and practically snarled "I have never threatened you before, so listen closely to this. If you EVER finish what you were going to say, I will crush you with my bare hand. Got it Shade?" Shade's eye shifted to the ground for a moment and then back at Number and replied "Alright. I got it." Number sighed as he let go of Shade and apologized "Sorry about that Shade."

"It's okay. I know how you feel about…"

"That's the problem, but forget about it. Let's just get our list ready and figure out the currency system for this planet."

"Don't worry, you have a friend here. And once you've become a little friendlier to Team RWBY, they'll be your friends too."

"We'll see about that. Come on, let's go talk to the team and see where we'll be sleeping."

Shade continued to float by Number's head and questioned "Do you think they'll ask questions about where we're from?" Number shrugged and replied "Probably. Why don't you make a little informational video for them? Maybe that will be a start at being nicer."

"It's a start."

Shade materialized into Number's helmet as he made his way to Team RWBY's room.

**A/N**: So there is your new chapter of Killing Machine! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and you probably have with all the follows and favorites. PM or review any thoughts about the chapter. Also, if you feel this story is crap, please elaborate why you think the story is crap. Until next time!

-Chief


	3. Chapter 3: Knowledge

**A/N:** Heyo! How's everyone doing? Just a little Author Note in the beginning to point out some stuff. This story is really popular, like, REALLY popular. 2 chapters and already 44 favorites and 57 followers. Just some stats, anyway… NEWCHAPTER!

Chapter 3: Knowledge

Number walked around the school with Shade floating around his shoulders, the two of them receiving strange looks from the students. He couldn't really blame them since he was a 6 foot tall war machine that appeared human. He looked around and saw some very strange sights among the students, especially one girl who was about to cross his path. He stopped her with an arm to the side and looked at the rabbit ears that protruded from her hair. The girl looked at him with a raised eyebrow and questioned "Can I help you?" Shade floated around the girls head as Number exclaimed "You have rabbit ears… why do you have rabbit ears?"

"Because I'm a Faunus."

Number recognized her accent and questioned "Better question, why do you have an Australian accent?" The rabbit girl kept her eyebrow raised and questioned "What's Australian?" Number put his arm down and Shade exclaimed "This isn't Earth Guardian, there is no Australia. Not like there was when the Darkness arrived." Number shook his head and continued his trek to Team RWBY's room, leaving the rabbit girl with a confused look on her face. Number questioned "So, what do you have for Team RWBY on our world?"

Shade responded "The basic history and information. Information about history, the guardians, our enemies and other things. They should appreciate it, and maybe they will tell us some knowledge of this world."

"That's makes sense. Besides, we're stuck here for a while."

Number pulled out his scroll and questioned "Do you think I could interface with the scroll and connect it to my HUD?" Shade floated around and responded "Possibly. It would take some time for me to figure out how the scroll works."

"Excellent. You can work on that while I work on the ship."

Number finally reached the door and sighed "This is going to suck." Shade exclaimed "It would help if…"

"Don't you dare say 'It would help if I was nicer'."

"Alright. Time to face the music."

Number reached up and knocked on the door, waiting to meet his new roommates. The door opened and Ruby stood there with a frown on her face, exclaiming "Oh, it's you. Come on in I guess." Ruby turned into the room as Number walked in and shut the door. Number looked around the room to see that it was a decent sized room with four beds that looked like they were supposed to be bunk beds. Number looked at the beds to see one suspended with a bunch of ropes while the other sat on books. "That looks incredibly unsafe." Number pointed out.

"You mean like having to room with a killing machine?" The girl named Weiss exclaimed from a desk. Shade floated around the room and appeared like he was analyzing the surroundings. Number noted that Yang was laying in the bed supported by the books while the black haired Blake laid in the bed below it. Number noticed another thing, all of the girls were armed. "Do you really need to be armed when you're in your room?" Number questioned as he took his helmet off.

"With you here?" Yang responded. "Yes, we really do." Number placed his helmet on the table and questioned "Would all of you feel safer if I didn't have my weapons on me?" All of the girls looked at him with raised eyebrows as Number reached behind him and showed it to them. "Are you sure this is a good idea Guardian?" Shade questioned as Number took the magazine out of the weapon. "It would help if they felt safe around me, so I'm disarming myself." Number exclaimed as he placed the gun on the table and the magazine on the desk.

He repeated the process with a white auto rifle, three strange looking energy weapons and three heavy machine guns. The ammo piled up on the desk while the table resembled a small armory as Number held out his arms and proclaimed "There you go. I'm completely unarmed unless you want me to start dropping my armor." Ruby shook her head and responded "I really don't think that's necessary." Ruby climbed into the bed that was held by ropes as Number took a seat from the table and sat by the desk. Shade floated over to Ruby and exclaimed "My Guardian has something for all of you."

Everyone looked to Number, who responded "It's information. Information about my world and what I do. Shade, if you please." Number closed the blinds on the window and shut the lights off as Shade projected a small picture of a planet. "This is my home, planet Earth." Number exclaimed as the planet rotated. "It was a place where people lived in happiness… once the Traveler arrived." The image changed into a large white ball that looked like it was missing pieces from the bottom. "The Traveler, the embodiment of light. With the Traveler's help, human life was tripled, space travel was advanced and life couldn't have been better." Number explained. "It was a golden age."

Number was silent for a moment, until Blake questioned "What happened?" Shade took over and exclaimed "For where there is light, there will be the dark. The ancient enemy of the Traveler, the Darkness, tracked the Traveler all the way to our system. That was the collapse of everything." Ruby sat on the edge of her bed and questioned "So what did you do?" Number exclaimed with a sense of pride "We fought back. With its dying breath, the Traveler created the Ghosts. Beings that could sense those who could wield the light as a weapon." Weiss interrupted "Guardians. Ghosts find Guardians."

"Exactly. The Vanguard is the military of the Guardians, traveling the stars and fighting the forces of the Darkness. There are three types of Guardians; Titans, Hunters and Warlocks."

The image changed to show the Vanguard leaders, Cayde-6, Commander Zavala and Ikora Rey. "Titans are battle hard tanks. There are two kinds of Titans, Defender and Striker." Number explained. "Defenders use the Ward of Dawn to protect others while Strikers use the Fist of Havoc to destroy our enemies. Hunters are skilled fighters of stealth, specializing in precision and blades. The two Hunter types are Gunslinger, using the Golden Gun to shoot enemies, and Bladedancer, using the Arc Blade to cut enemies down. Warlocks are warrior-scholars that devote themselves to understanding the Traveler. They can either be Voidwalkers, using the Nova Bomb to atomize our enemies, and Sunsingers, using Radiance to make themselves unbelievably stronger."

"So who were your enemies?" Yang questioned. "You talk about the Darkness, but what do you actually fight." Number went on "A lot. There are the Fallen, ruthless alien scavengers that arrived during the Collapse. The Hive, an ancient festering evil that believe the war between Light and Dark is a crusade, and Light must be extinguished. The Vex, a mechanical hive mind of war machines that are so evil they despise other evil. Finally, we have the Cabal, a warmongering race that destroy planets and moons for getting in the way." Number explained. Shade jumped in and explained "All of these enemies appeared during the Collapse, the casualties were massive." There was an uncomfortable silence until Number exclaimed "The Last City… the only place we are safe. We stage the fight from there against the Darkness in hopes that we may overcome and bring back the light." Number turned the lights back on and opened the window as Shade deactivated his hologram.

"So, do you work alone… or with a team like us?" Ruby questioned, obviously intrigued by Number's information. "Some Guardians work alone, but most work in fire teams of three. So you work in teams of four?" Ruby nodded and explained "We are training to be huntresses. Warriors committed to defending people against the forces of evil. Kinda like Guardians fighting the forces of the Darkness."

"So what do you girls fight?"

Blake added from behind a book "The forces of Grimm. Creatures that were born of the darkness, born without a soul." Number questioned "Soul? Like the theological idea of some energy within a person? You do realize you're talking to a machine?" Yang exclaimed "Just because you lack a soul doesn't mean that it isn't real. We are trained to harness the power of our soul into an Aura. A protective barrier that keeps us from harm. We can also form a Semblance, an ability that is created by our soul."

"Kinda like my special ability based upon my class. Cool, so we really aren't that different."

"No, we're human while you're a robot."

"Yang!" Ruby snapped. "What? It's true. He's just a bunch of moving parts!" Yang exclaimed. "He's a weapon that nearly killed Team CRDL." Number pointed and exclaimed "That was a complete misunderstanding! They started it! Question, can you control your Aura? Like, make it stronger in certain places?" Weiss answered "Yes, it is possible to manipulate your Aura to become stronger."

"That would explain why the kid with the daggers was able to take a burst of a pulse rifle without dying."

Yang held out her hand and barked "See? A machine built to kill and nothing else!" Number grumbled "That hurts my feelings."

"You don't have feelings! You're a machine!"

Number gave up since arguing with Yang seemed pointless. He stood up and grabbed his helmet, sliding it over his head and exclaiming "If anyone needs me I'll be finding the parts I need in town." Weiss informed as she stood up "You know that you require someone to be with you at all times so there are no more… misunderstandings."

"Then who wants to go? If there are no volunteers someone will be voluntold. Any takers?"

The room was silent until Ruby volunteered "I'll go." Number did a slight bow and exclaimed "Thank you Ruby." The two walked out of the room, making it a point to slam the door in frustration. They went to the airship pick up point and waited, Number tapping his foot with his arms crossed in an irritated fashion. Ruby opened her mouth to say something when Number snapped "Who the hell does she think she is! Calling me some… some… machine!"

Number jumped up and ranted "The nerve of that girl! I'm not just some machine! I'm a god damn EXO!" Number fumed for a bit, Shade and Ruby watching him pace back and forth until he walked over to the bench. "I CAN'T STAND HER!" Number bellowed as he drove his fist through the bench. He kept his hand in the hole and panted to calm himself down. He finally removed his fist and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Sorry you had to see that." Number apologized as he sat down. Ruby was a little surprised that Number was actually apologizing for something since he never really had. Not for calling her a bitch (or actually meaning it) or for putting Team CRDL in the hospital, so it was a bit of a shock. "I just… I don't like being called a machine." Number sighed. "I know I'm not human, but I'm not mindless or emotionless…" Ruby interrupted "You're an EXO. You act human and kinda look human, but you aren't."

"Yeah. I just don't like being downgraded to something like a combustion engine or computer."

Ruby put a hand on his shoulder and patted it, attempting to comfort him a bit. Ruby was now seeing Number in a different light, a gentler light. Sure, he could be an asshole and pretty much kill her if he wanted to, but he had feelings and a conscious… he had more human decency than some others at Beacon. "Ruby, I really am sorry about calling you a bitch." Number apologized as the airship approached. "You really cool, especially for putting up with me."

"Thanks Number. That's really cool of you too." Ruby replied. "I think I have something for you."

"What?"

"I know someone who you can relate to. If we can find her, I'll introduce the two of you."

Ruby could tell Number seemed excited as he replied "Really? I hope we can find her!" Number and Ruby boarded the airship and headed down into Vale with excitement and adventure on the horizon.

**A/N: **KABOOOOOOM! Here's the next chapter of Killing Machine! Hope y'all enjoyed it and there is more to come. PM or review what you guys like and dislike and remember the line between criticism and being a hater. Until next update.

-Chief


	4. Chapter 4: Not Alone

Sorry for the wait on this next chapter, I'm a busy guy. But, I'll give you the chapter!

Chapter 4: Not Alone

Number walked through town with Ruby as he gathered materials for his ship and Ruby kept an eye out for her friend. The two took a stop the park so Number could look at the schematics for the parts he needed while Ruby assisted. Number was really impressed with Ruby's mechanical knowledge since she was able to figure out a good portion of the schematics. "You're really good at this." Number commented as he started to put a few pieces together. "I like to build." Ruby admitted. "And I keep Crescent Rose in top shape, and to do that you need to know how the weapon works."

"It's really impressive, and it's good that I have someone to work with. Gets lonely working all alone."

"You seem like a guy who works alone a lot."

Number chuckled and replied "I never really do work alone. I always have my teammates to work with." Number opened up one of the pouches on his belt and grabbed a photo then handed it to Ruby. She took the picture to see three people standing on top of a large, very ugly creature. The picture only showed the head of the beast, which had no eyes and a small mouth. One wore white robes with a helmet that looked like a strange skull.

The robed one stood to the left of the fallen monster with his weapon at low ready. The second one was sitting on the top of the head with a revolver held pointing straight up. She (clearly a she due to the body shape) was wearing some armor that left very little to the imagination and a long cloak with a hood. The last had to have been number due to the bulky armor and automatic rifle that was pointed straight up in the air. "Shade took the picture after we took down that massive Ogre. That, is my team leader Zer0x-2, he's a Warlock. Then that is Cassandra, the Hunter of the group." Number explained.

"Wow, did you guys have a team name like my team?"

"No, we mainly focused on fighting the enemies of the darkness. That thing we took down was a real pain in the ass, but we managed to bring the abomination down."

Ruby looked at Number in a new light since she always figured him to be a loner when it came to fights. "So what was your role in the team?" Ruby questioned. "I was the heavy hitter and defender." Number answered. "For that mission specifically, I was a defender with my Ward of Dawn. That shield really helped out against Phogath's Void ray."

"Phogath?"

"That was what the Ogre's name was, Phogath the Untamed."

Number kindly took the picture back and put it back into the pouch. "So, what can you tell me about your friend that you really want me to meet?" Number questioned as he started packing his materials up. "Well, she's kinda like you." Ruby answered.

"Like me? What do you mean?"

"Well… she's- right over there."

Number turned around to see a girl about Ruby's age walking along the fence between the park and the sidewalk. "Penny!" Ruby called as she jumped from her seat. The red headed girl turned and produced a wide smile as she replied "Ruby! My friend!" Number packed his stuff up and hurried over to Ruby who was chatting with her friend, Penny. Number caught up to Ruby as she questioned "How've you been Penny?"

Penny responded "I have been doing very well. What about you?"

"I'm good. I have a friend for you to meet."

Ruby gestured to Number, who looked at Ruby with a confused look although all the other two saw was a blank face plate. "This is where you introduce yourself." Ruby whispered to Number. "Right, I'm Number." Number replied and then introduced as he held out his hand. Penny smiled and shook Number's hand, introducing "My name is Penny. Why is your name Number?"

"It's easier than giving people my unit designation… and I prefer it that way."

"Unit designation?"

"Yeah, I'm an EXO. Robotic warrior of Earth and the Vanguard of the Light."

Number looked to Ruby and questioned "So this is the one you wanted me to meet?" Ruby nodded and replied "Yep. You and Penny are almost one in the same." Number reached up and unlatched his helmet, removing it and revealing his true nature to Penny. Penny looked shocked for a moment, then a wide smile spread across her face as she exclaimed "You're a machine." Number corrected "EXO, I'm a little more advanced than a machine."

"Can you produce an aura like me?"

"In a sense I can. I'm a Titan Guardian, capable of wielding the Light to generate the Fist of Havoc and Ward of Dawn. Are you a machine?"

Penny straightened up and proclaimed with a sense of pride "I'm the first synthetic human capable of creating an aura." Number chuckled "Looks like this world is on its way to creating its own EXOs. So what are you up to Penny?"

"I'm just enjoying town. What about you?"

"Just looking for some parts to repair my ship with a little help. Mind if I join you? It's nice to meet another person like me."

"Not at all!"

Number hopped over the fence (bending it a little) and kept his helmet off. "I'll see you later Number. It was nice seeing you again Penny!" Ruby proclaimed as she stayed on her side of the fence. She turned and started walking away, leaving Number alone with his new friend. Penny looked to Number and questioned "So what do you want to do? We could grab something to eat… do you eat?" Number shook his head and replied "No. I kinda have a recharge system, but I really don't count that as eating. Do you eat?"

"I do. My father gave me a nutrient filtration system that powers my energy core, kinda like a human stomach."

The two began walking as they talked about how each other's systems operated. "So what is Earth like?" Penny questioned as they walked. "Most of it is a war zone at this point. There is only one city remaining, Last City. That's where I live." Number answered.

"This Darkness sounds scary, and very dangerous."

"It is, but someone has to stand up to the Darkness and that's what Guardians do. Kinda like how huntsman and huntresses stand up to the forces of Grimm."

Penny nudged him with her shoulder and exclaimed "That's really cool. How you stand against a massive enemy even though your back is against the wall." Number felt a sense of pride swell in his chest cavity as he replied "Yeah, I guess it is. What about you? Are you becoming a huntress?"

"Oh most definitely! Father really wants me to become a huntress so I can save the world!"

"With that kind of attitude, you should see if you have what it takes to become a Guardian. That kind of pep could really help out around the Tower."

The two walked and talked a little bit more when Number heard someone shout "Freak!" Number looked across the street and saw three young men gathered around a small girl. She tried to stand up but one pushed her down as the others laughed at the fall. Number felt his fist tighten as he growled "That is not happening anymore." Number put his helmet back on and crossed the street with Penny right behind him.

"Hey!" Number barked as he crossed the middle of the street. Two of the guys looked at him while the other was busy tormenting the little girl. "Get lost giant." One commented. "Yeah, you got no reason to be here." The other added. Number continued his walk and exclaimed "If any of you are around the girl when I get there, all three of you will be sorry."

"Guardian." Shade proclaimed inside Number's helmet. "I wouldn't recommended using deadly force on these three." Number made it to the group and the three were still there, how unfortunate for them. One stepped up and held his arms out, questioning "Do we have a problem?" Number didn't answer, instead he delivered a shot straight to the punk's gut, dropping him to his knees. The other one turned and charged Number, but ended up slamming into Number's chest as if he were a brick wall.

Number dropped an elbow on him, sending him to the concrete but not with enough force to kill him. The last one looked panicked as Number stood up to him chest to chest, lowering his head and growling "Boo." The last kid took off with his friends on his heels, forcing a chuckle out of Number as Penny knelt to help the small girl. Number knelt down to see a small pair of ears sticking out of her tan hair. "Faunus." Number quietly exclaimed.

The small girl started to get a hold of herself as Number put his hand on the top of her head. The little girl looked up at him with teary brown eyes as Number exclaimed "It's okay little one. I'm here to help." The little Faunus teared up a bit and threw her arms around Number's neck, quietly crying "Thank you mister." Number slowly wrapped his arms around the little Faunus to comfort her, seeing Penny with a large smile across her face. The little Faunus stopped crying and Number asked "Where are your parents?"

"I… I don't know. I was walking with my mommy and we got separated."

"Well, come on. Let's go find your mommy."

Number stood up and held his hand out to the girl, who took his hand like she was reaching for the sky itself. The little girl couldn't have been more than five years old and she was being picked on for being a Faunus. "What kind of Faunus are you?" Number questioned as they walked through town.

"I'm a bear Faunus. Are you a Faunus?"

"No, I'm not a Faunus."

"Well, then you're Human?"

"Nope, not Human either."

"Then what are you?"

Number didn't answer since they arrived at their destination; the police station. Penny opened the door and Number led the little bear Faunus through the door and up to the front desk. "Excuse me, I'd like to report a lost child." Number stated. The officer behind the desk looked down and smiled, exclaiming "Hello there little one. Do you have your parent's phone number?" The little girl retreated behind Number's leg, causing him to chuckle a bit.

"It's okay, the officer is here to help." Number stated, urging the girl to come out a bit. She reached into a pocket in her pants and pulled out a slip of paper, Number taking it and handing it to the officer. "Now what's your name?" The officer questioned as she picked up the phone. "Alicia. Alicia Molkolov." She answered.

"Okay Alicia, just wait here and we'll have your parents come and get you."

The officer looked to Number and Penny and exclaimed "Thank you for bringing her here. We'll make sure her parents come and get her." Penny looked to Number as he responded "If it's all the same to you, officer. I would rather stay here and make sure Alicia gets home." The officer shrugged and replied "Be my guest." Number took Alicia's hand and the three of them walked to the bench. Shade materialized and helped entertain Alicia.

By 'entertain', Shade floated around the room while Alicia tried to catch him. Number and Penny watched the Ghost and the Faunus play with smiles on their faces. "It's really sweet that you not only helped Alicia, but you want to make sure she's safe." Penny commented. Number shrugged and replied "I can't help it, it's my basic programing to help those in need."

"It's still sweet."

They waited for a bit until a woman walked into the police station with red eyes and tears running down her face. She turned and cheered "Alicia!" The little girl ran to the woman and cried "Mommy!" The two embraced, warming Number's power core at the sight. Shade floated over to Number and exclaimed "This is why we do what we do, isn't it?" Number nodded and replied "Yeah, seeing the joy on the faces of those we help… that is why we do this."

The woman picked up her child and walked over to Number as he stood up. "Thank you." She cried. "Thank you so much." Number nodded and replied "My pleasure ma'am. Hey Alicia, do you still want to know what I am?" Alicia nodded with a smile sticking out through the tears. Number answered as he undid the latches on his helmet "I'm a robot." He removed his helmet and Alicia's mother took in a sharp gasp as Alicia's eyes lit up. "You're a robot! What do you do for a living!?" Alicia cheered as she reached out to touch Number's face.

"I'm a Guardian. Be good for you mother Alicia."

Number patted Alicia's head and exclaimed "Come on Penny. I should probably be getting back to Beacon." Penny nodded and the two walked out of the police station, hearing Alicia announce "Mommy! I want to be a Guardian!" Number and Penny walked to the airship pick-up point for him and waited. They sat for a bit in silence until Number proclaimed "Today was a really great day. I got meet someone like me and we got to help reunite a mother and child. Great day." Penny nodded and exclaimed "It was a really great day. Looks like your ride is here."

Number saw the airship flying in and Penny proclaimed "Thanks for today Number. We really should do it again." She stood up and kissed Number's cheek plate before leaving. Number knew he had a happy expression on as he stood up and boarded the airship. Sure, he knew he was going to receive hell for walking around without someone watching him, but frankly, he didn't care.

**A/N: **Good news everyone! I've found more time to work on my writing so updates shouldn't be so spaced out! PM or review any thoughts comments or complaints about the chapter. 'Til next update!

-Chief


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